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Search Interest Shows Mala Fever Is Still Growing

The current Mala Fever is supported by strong online interest. Google Trends data cited by The Korea Times showed searches for “malatang” in September 2026 were 350 percent higher than in 2022. Meanwhile, searches for “mala rosé,” which combines mala with a creamy sauce, increased 250 percent over the same comparison period. Mala arrived in Korea during the early 2010s and gained wider popularity around 2018. Yet the latest figures suggest consumer curiosity has continued rather than disappearing after an initial trend cycle. Restaurant businesses have also reported growth. Tanghuo Kungfu recorded sales of 25.5 billion won in 2025, nearly triple its 2022 figure. Chunli Malatang and Lahongbang also reported substantial sales increases over their respective comparison periods.

Mala Gukbap Brings Sichuan Heat to Korean Comfort Food

One notable example of the trend is Mala Gukbap. HDN Food recently introduced the menu through Yuksudang, its gukbap chain with 85 locations across Korea. Gukbap traditionally combines soup and rice, making it a familiar Korean comfort food. However, Yuksudang added mala while trying to preserve the richness of its beef bone broth. The company spent three months developing its own sauce. In addition, 30 employees evaluated samples under restaurant-like conditions. The recipe was designed to rely heavily on ingredients already used in regular gukbap. Only a limited number of additional ingredients were required. This approach shows how restaurants can introduce an international flavor without completely rebuilding an existing menu or kitchen system.

Mala Cream Shrimp Toast Shows How Far the Trend Has Spread

Mala Fever has also reached an unexpected category: café food. Mega MGC Coffee collaborated with chef Lee Moon-jung to create Mala Cream Shrimp Toast. The dish combines brioche with a shrimp patty and sweet mala cream sauce. It emerged through a Coupang Eats campaign connecting chefs with local franchise brands for special menu releases. The combination is noteworthy because toast and sweet cream sauces sit far outside the traditional context of Sichuan mala. However, that contrast may be exactly what makes the concept appealing. Familiar ingredients can reduce the barrier for diners who have never tried an intensely spicy mala dish. At the same time, the numbing spice creates enough novelty to make a familiar café item feel different.

Mala Toowoomba Pasta Finds an Audience in Korea

Outback Steakhouse Korea offers another example of mala crossing culinary boundaries. The restaurant introduced Mala Toowoomba Pasta in June 2026 as a limited weekday menu. The dish brought mala’s numbing heat into the chain’s signature pasta format. During its three-week limited run, Outback sold about 7,000 servings. The company also reported that overall sales increased 77 percent during that period. After the limited release, the pasta became a regular menu item the following month. Customers in their 20s and 30s were particularly associated with its popularity, according to The Korea Times. The result illustrates how a familiar Western-style dish can become a platform for a flavor rooted in another culinary tradition.

Fried Chicken Gets Its Own Mala Transformation

Korean fried chicken has also joined the trend. In July, 60Chicken introduced Chamji Mala Chicken with an in-house mala sauce. More importantly, customers can add mala oil to adjust the intensity. That small detail reflects a broader strategy behind many fusion dishes. Mala can be powerful, especially for diners unfamiliar with its numbing sensation. Therefore, adjustable heat makes the experience more approachable without removing the flavor’s identity. The idea also suits modern dining habits, where customization has become common. Rather than asking every customer to accept the same spice level, restaurants can offer a gentler introduction or a stronger experience. As a result, mala becomes easier to integrate into an already popular food category such as Korean fried chicken.

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Major Food Companies Join Korea’s Mala Movement

Restaurants are not alone in responding to Mala Fever. Major food businesses have also introduced mala-based products. In 2026, companies including McDonald’s Korea, Binggrae, Otoki, Orion, Dining Brands Group, Goraesa, and Lahongbang launched products connected with the flavor. At least eight mala-based items had been released during the year when The Korea Times reported on the trend on September 23. That was more than double the number reported for the previous year. Meanwhile, Hanchon argued that mala had moved beyond a temporary novelty. The company pointed to its continued consumer interest after the flavor’s earlier period of explosive growth. These developments suggest that companies increasingly see mala as a flavor that can work across different product categories.

Younger Diners Help Push Mala Into the Mainstream

Consumers in their 20s and 30s are an important part of Korea’s mala story. An industry official quoted by The Korea Times described mala as having moved from novelty flavor toward a mainstream choice among these consumers. That helps explain why companies continue experimenting with it across very different foods. In addition, Hanchon pointed to another sign of mala’s growing presence in everyday consumption. In July 2026, malatang was added to official categories used for Korea’s consumer price index, according to the company. The development does not mean every Korean diner has embraced the flavor. However, together with restaurant sales, product launches, and search activity, it shows how firmly malatang has entered the country’s commercial food landscape.

Mala Fever Reflects a Wider Taste for Culinary Experimentation

The latest wave of Mala Fever is interesting because it shows how food cultures can evolve through adaptation. Mala retains the spicy and numbing identity associated with Sichuan cuisine. Yet Korean businesses are pairing it with beef broth, creamy pasta, fried chicken, and café-style toast. Therefore, the story is larger than the popularity of malatang alone. It illustrates how one recognizable flavor can travel across cuisines while taking on new forms. The commercial response is also notable. Businesses are not simply copying one successful dish. Instead, they are testing how mala works with foods their customers already know. For diners, that creates a bridge between familiarity and novelty. For Korea’s food industry, it opens another route for menu experimentation as consumer tastes continue to change.

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